Kiwi pole vaulter Eliza McCartney has withdrawn from the upcoming world athletics championships in Doha this month.
The 22-year-old Olympic bronze-medalist has succumbed to a hamstring injury that will prematurely end her season.
"After a lot of thought and with the support from the team around me, I've decided to end my season early and withdraw from world champs," she said on Instagram.
"I have been making good progress, but unfortunately, after a year of disrupted training, I've run out of time to be ready to compete well at that level."
McCartney's hamstring has been an ongoing issue, hindering her progress, after she cleared 4.85m in Hastings in January.
"It was really tough making the decision to end the season early, but right now, I know this is the best decision for me and my career.
"Ironically, I'm coming home, physically, the fittest I've been this year, so I'll be taking a short break, then getting straight into the training I need to hit our summer season strong."
The Commonwealth Games silver medallist will now focus on her recovery, with an eye to the Tokyo Olympics next year.
Newshub.
